23 May 2006

Elusive Balance - the painter Henri Matisse said it best ---"What I dream of is an art of balance." This can never be more evident in the lives led by medbloggers. Medbloggers are doctors/nurses/paramedics first, family persons second, and bloggers too, when there is still time to squeeze from a very, very busy day. That order may or may not vary. It depends on the person involved. Most of us agree that the biggest news of the past week is Medpundit saying goodbye to blogging. After more than 4 years of dedicated blogging, she found out that family and work must take precedence over writing regularly. While I think that is a wise decision, I cannot help but feel sad with this development. I sincerely wish she comes back with her excellent and insightful posts. I pray she --- and those of us also contemplating to quit --- find the elusive dream and art of balancing time.

This is my third time to host the Grand Rounds, now on its second year, and growing strong. We have more than 50 excellent entries today. I chose a medical journal theme to present these posts. Of particular interest are the PERSPECTIVES and FIRST PERSON ACCOUNTS sections which I encourage all of you to pay close attention to, as the posts here are full of substance and show that more and more health personnel are becoming sympathetic to patients' plights.

The Charles Sign - pending peer review, Dr Charles proposes a new medical eponym as he narrates an amusing story on how the unlikely characters are the first to fold when it comes to blood extractions.

Eyes and Thighs - the routine use of erythromycin ophthalmic ointment and intramuscular Vitamin K immediately after birth is discussed by Dr. Flea

Making Friends, Not Enemies - a quick run down on consumer-driven health care and suggests how everybody working together as friends rather than fighting as enemies can perfect new models of care like “mini clinics” that benefit both providers and consumers.

T H A N K Y O U ! - my sincere gratitude to everyone who has contributed for this issue of the Grand Rounds. Thanks also to Nick of Blogborygmi for continuing to dedicate his time and guidance to this weekly effort, and for conducting the Medscape interview (needs registration).

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DISCLAIMER

Information found here is the author's opinion and should not be used as replacement for the medical advice of your personal physician. If you feel sick and you feel it is an emergency, consult your physician or the nearest hospital immediately. Your physician is STILL the best person who can manage you medically.